EVANGELIZATION WITHIN FAMILIES

``Parents are the primary evangelizers as well as the primary catechists and educators of their children.

Amid all the pressure to prepare their children for success in life, parents need to realize there is no greater success and no greater gift they can give their children than a relationship with Jesus and his Church, which endures throughout eternity. A family of joyful missionary disciples is one where sacrificial love, after Christ’s example and in the power of his Spirit, is the principle that governs all of life. The first priority is given to participation in the Sunday liturgy and daily prayer; decisions about activities and finances are made according to the mind of Christ; the spouses talk freely to one another and to their children about the Lord; the faith is enculturated through various family and cultural traditions and celebrations; and, above all, the mutual gift of self is the norm for all relationships. In such families, the spouses are witnesses of Christ to one another, and often even the children, through the simplicity of their faith, evangelize their parents`` (Unleash the Gospel, Marker 7.2, Evangelization Within Families).

D.O.V.E.S. PROGRAM

Dedicated Official Volunteers Emanating Spirit (DOVES) program encourages parental participation within the school environment. Parent volunteers must meet the guidelines in the Safe Environment Policy, including the Protecting God’s Children Workshop. Each family is required to donate 20 hours (a single parent family requires 10 hours) of volunteer time, which directly benefits the children at the school. A list of volunteer opportunities can be found on our school website under the tab “About”, then choosing “Parent Involvement.” As hours are completed, each family must record their hours in FACTS by clicking on the “Service Hours” tab. If a family is unable to complete the required volunteer hours, they have the option to buy out their hours at $15 per hour. Parents that fail to submit their hours by June 1st of the current school year, will automatically be charged the $15/hour fee through the FACTS system.

Parent volunteers must meet the guidelines in the Safe Environment Policy, including the Protecting God’s Children Workshop.

VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS / SAFE ENVIRONMENTS
SIGN-UP TO VOLUNTEER HERE
HOW TO REPORT DOVES HOURS WORKED
SUBMIT AN EVENT FOR APPROVAL AND PROMOTION
OLGC TAX EXEMPT FORM
CHECK REQUEST FORM

PARENT VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE

The Parent Volunteer Committee (PVC) is an organization consisting of all parents of OLGC Parish School students. The purpose of this organization is to direct and coordinate parental support to OLGC Parish School through activities, social functions, and fundraisers.

PARENT LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Parent Leadership Team oversees the PVC. The Parent Leadership Team consists of a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, fundraising chairman, hospitality chairman, Parent Lighthouse Team leader, and principal. The mission of the Parent Leadership Team is to support and enhance the experience for our students both academically and spiritually through fundraising and volunteer opportunities uniting families and staff to serve our parish school while transforming the culture. The Parent Leadership Team members oversee subcommittees and alignment to our school mission, promote the school as joyful missionary disciples, offer input on school policy areas and administrative decisions, and remain focused on the school’s vision and continuous improvement.

PARENT LIGHTHOUSE TEAM

Parent Lighthouse Team is made up of parents from our school, the Principal and teacher representatives. The purpose of the Lighthouse Team is to promote The Leader in Me model inside the school so that it stays strong and vibrant year after year. They are the champions of the process. They are called the Lighthouse Team because they coordinate the school-wide work needed to achieve and maintain Lighthouse status.

Click HERE to learn more about the Leader In Me process.

Click HERE to view the “Leader In Me Parent Guide” so you can learn how to help teach your child the 7 Habits at home.

Leadership: Sally Dombrowski-Bergsman and Susie Heineman

This team of dedicated parents are already hard at work brainstorming ideas on how they can help promote and enhance the Leader In Me model within OLGC and at home. We look forward to implementing many new ideas that will offer students a life-changing encounter with Jesus and equip leaders to transform the culture!

We encourage parents to become involved and help us give our children the best school experience they can have!

If interested in volunteering, fill out the Volunteer Form that can be found on the Community/Parents tab on our website. Please email  sally.djdagency@gmail.com for further questions

MEET THE PARENT LIGHTHOUSE TEAM

STRATEGIC PLANNING TEAM

In 2017, Archbishop Vigneron challenged all Catholic schools to engage in a serious self-assessment and develop a plan to maximize our potential and unleash the Gospel in our school. Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School joyfully accepted this challenge, worked collaboratively and diligently, and developed a strategic plan that we are proud to share with the AOD and all of our stakeholders. This plan may be viewed on our school website. The team is comprised of pastor, administration, counselor, teaching staff, OLGC parents, Alumnus, and varying members outside our parish community. The Strategic Planning Team will continue to meet biannually to review progress on the Strategic Plan and makes changes as needed.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM

The School Improvement Team consists of administration, counselor, teaching staff and at least one parent volunteer. The parent volunteer is asked to serve along with school staff members to help create data-based goals for continuing improvement for our school. For example, this may include curriculum changes, staff professional development, standardized testing needs etc. Parent members a vital addition to our team and help provide a full picture perspective when focusing on making improvements upon our school. This team meets at least seven times per year. Parents may also express interest in joining specific action teams to support our school by filling out an interest form at the start of the school year, available in the front office.

ALPHA

IS THERE MORE TO LIFE?

Alpha gives everyone the opportunity to explore the meaning of life in a relaxed, friendly setting. The Alpha course usually meets once a week for 10 weeks, sometimes in a church, a home, or a restaurant. Sessions begin with a meal, followed by a short talk, and time to discuss the topic.

During the discussion, everyone is welcome to contribute their opinions and no question is considered hostile or too simple. Questions might include–Is there a God? Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

Alpha is for everyone –no question is out of bounds and you are free to discuss as much or as little as you wish. We don’t assume any background knowledge or belief in Christianity and everyone is welcome.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ALPHA

RETREATS FOR PARENTS

OLGC Parish School is committed to offering a life-changing encounter with Jesus, and every year we want to bless our moms and dads with an incredible opportunity to encounter the Lord through a retreat experience.

MOMS' RETREAT

The theme for the moms' retreat was Come away with me (Mark 6:31). Moms were invited to rest and be renewed by the Spirit. The weekend included talks and testimonies, quiet time for reflection, Adoration and sharing with each other. It was a beautiful time of building community and deepening their faith.

Here is what past attendees had to say:

“I have never before been in the presence of Jesus for such a long time. This was an amazing experience.”

“The prayer ministers that came were a true blessing to me where I am in my life right now.”

“This was a wonderful experience and so very needed for me at this time.”

DADS' RETREAT

The role of fathers in particular is essential, since one of the greatest factors influencing a child’s future practice of the faith is the religious involvement of his or her father. Amid all the pressure to prepare their children for success in life, parents need to realize there is no greater success and no greater gift they can give their children than a relationship with Jesus and his Church, which endures throughout eternity (Unleash the Gospel, Marker 7.2).
There were many grace-filled moments during the dads' retreat. The theme of he retreat was Defending Your Faith and Family. The weekend focused on their identity as God's sons and how that is the foundation to what it means to be a father. Our dads left the retreat with practical tools to take authority over their homes and families.

Here’s what one dad had to say about the retreat:

“Those who presented made it very personal and real so it was easy to relate to what they were presenting, and it was easy to understand the message God was delivering. The length of the retreat was perfect! Having the opportunity to be in Adoration during some hours at night and for the start the day on Saturday was a powerful experience. I also liked the fact that I was among other men in very similar circumstances (OLGC dads) as we share, in some level, the same big desire: to better fulfill our mission of being the best dads God has created us to be for our children.”

D.A.A.D. (Dads Acting As Disciples)

DADS, WE'RE CALLING YOU ON.

The Goals of DAAD:
1.) Provide a positive male role model for students, demonstrating that education and faith are important (teaching students to be leaders of faith and academics).
2.) Reflect on our identity as men of God and our role within our families.

Interested in joining? Contact Chris Squires at olgcdaad@gmail.com

Fight the Good Fight

A resource page for families to build upon their faith at home.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish School is committed to equipping our school and parish families to “Fight the good fight of the Faith” by suggesting resources to help strengthen, inspire, and challenge our parents to build the faith and discipleship of their families in a practical way through prayer, talking points, and stories. Check back regularly for updates and additions to our set of resources.
Questions? Contact Suzanne Moser.
VISIT RESOURCE PAGE